The Snake Charmer
by Angelgrl185
Summary: The sequel to A Viper's Poison. Serena and the Silver Snakes continue to follow the trail of Dr. Gracin plunging themselves into dangerous situations which reveal that there may be more to this than meets the eye. New threats, love and twists ensue!
1. Tests and Trials

The Snake Charmer

**.:Angelgrl185:.**

The Second Installment

Of

The Silver Snakes Trilogy

_((I don't own Sailor Moon or any of its components))_

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* * *

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Chapter One: Tests and Trials

* * *

Serena Gracin walked confidently through the corridors of Crystal Empires, flanked by an army of lawyers, her heels clicking firmly against the marble floor. Serena led the way up the elevator to the executive floor where her opponent, Lord Thriarfield, and her friend Seiya were already at each other's throats. The atmosphere was thick with tension when she along with her lawyers waltzed into the room toting various briefcases and files. She smiled warmly at Seiya who returned it then shot Lord Thriarfield a superior glance.

"Good evening Lord Thriarfield." Serena greeted him extending her hand cordially, which Thriarfield promptly shook, squeezing her hand unnecessarily hard as if to prove his power, but Serena just widened her smile as her grip matched his before squeezing even hard as if to crack his fingers. Lord Thriarfield removed his hand shakily from hers, surprised at the amount of strength she possessed.

"Gentlemen, we all know why we are here, let's not waste anymore time by bickering over it." Serena began as the gentlemen began to settle themselves at the conference table in the center of the room, Serena's lawyers along with Seiya on one side, Lord Thriarfield and his lawyers on the other.

"I have government documents here with me proving my identity as Serena Gracin and as the rightful daughter and inheritor of all my father's possessions, Alexander Gracin. Crystal Empires is rightfully my father's corporation and should be handed back over to my from Lord Thriarfield." Serena stated smoothly looking at the different men in turn. Her aqua eyes were serious and focused as she combed over her opponents. Thriarfield's face immediately grew red and he raised himself out of his seat sputtering.

"You have no right to come and claim rights over my company, your father left it to me before he died since I was his second in command and I have all rights to every aspect of Crystal Empires." Thriarfield protested angrily slamming his fist against the glass covering on the wooden table.

"Really Lord Thriarfield? I guess you haven't heard, my father isn't really dead, in fact, he is very much alive." Serena said sweetly. "Of course you already know that since he left his company publicly in your charge although secretly he was still calling all the shots. Don't even try to protest it, the government of the United States already has a full report of the incidents that occurred over the last few months and I have their full support in taking over my father's company." Serena said evenly, putting out her hand to halt Lord Thriarfield's protests. She motioned to one of her lawyers who quickly pulled out a few slips of paper that had the presidential seal on the top. Serena handed the papers to Thriarfield who read them in silence, a look of defeat falling across his pudgy figure, his graying brown hair sticking to his forehead with slight perspiration.

"There is no way we can fight this, Sir." One of his lawyers unsuccessfully whispered in his ear. "She has been given the decree from the president."

Lord Thriarfield hung his head for a moment, his brown eyes cast down to the floor before looking up into Serena's smug face.

"It seems to me Ms. Gracin that you have beaten me. I will not give you anymore grief on this topic, I only ask that you compensate my losses as I will be now kicked out on the street with no job or pay." He said sullenly. Serena nodded her head, her platinum blond hair bobbing slightly as it hung loosely around her face.

"I need you to officially sign over the rights to me." Serena said pushing a document and a pen in front of Thriarfield. He quickly signed his loopy signature and turned towards his men.

"Gentleman, I feel it is time for us to take our leave." He said dejectedly, getting up from his seat and leaving the room, his lawyers trailing behind him. Serena blew out the air she had been holding in and turned to Seiya who drew her into a comforting hug.

"Congratulations Ms. Gracin." He said a teasing lint in his voice when he said her name causing Serena to laugh merrily.

"Thanks, I wasn't expecting that to go so well." Serena admitted stepping away from the friendly embrace. "I was expecting threats and suing and all sorts of legal battles."

"Well it is kind of hard to follow up on those things when your opponent has the support of the United States government and the President." Seiya answered with a smile.

"True, true. Still, I feel we haven't seen the last of Lord Thriarfield." Serena said shaking her head.

"Have any clue as to what you are going to do with Crystal Empires?" Seiya asked.

"Not exactly, I'm going to put Darien in charge of all the scientific stuff. I know Amy and him enjoy working together, but I get the feeling Amy is getting tired of not being the only genius around." Serena said with a grin.

"Can I make a suggestion?" Seiya requested.

"Of course, you don't even need to ask." Serena replied.

"I suggest you test the security at the corporation. Even though Crystal Empires isn't as active as it was a couple months ago, there is still valuable research information that many terrorist organizations and companies that would love to get their hands on." Seiya warned. Serena flashed him a reassuring smile and began walking with him out of the room.

"Don't worry, I already have someone on it."

* * *

The moon hung low in the night sky, illuminating the glass structure of Crystal Empires as a figure smoothly darted across the parking lot unnoticed by cameras and guards alike. Dressed in sleek black leather, the figure blended in with the liquid night sky. Sneaking to the section of the building that had the lowest ceiling available to land on, the figure pulled out a small gun and aimed to the top of the building before pulling the trigger, sending a thick strand of rope sailing through the air and efficiently lodged the end hook around the edge of the ceiling, two stories up. Tugging hard on the rope to make sure it was secure, the figure unlocked the reel on the gun, which began to rewind the rope, pulling the sleek figure up the side of the building, it's feet running up the side of the glass walls.

When the figure reached the top of the roof, it grasped the edges and easily pulled itself over the wall and landed smoothly on the surface of the roof. Pulling out a circular piece of metal, the figure placed it on the glass ceiling and pressed a small black button on the side of the metal, which triggered a red laser, which cut a hole in the glass big enough for the figure to slide through. Using the same rope gun, the figure secured it against the side of the wall, changing the direction of the hook before gently lowering itself into the building. Pressing the reel button, the figure let go of the gun and watched as it rewound itself back up to the edge of the roof's wall.

Slipping out of the room, the figure walked swiftly down the hallway, destination the elevator at the end of the corridor. The sound of footsteps approaching caused the figure to dash into a nearby room and halted its breathing as a security guard passed by oblivious to the intruder. As soon as the guard was clear from sight, the figure hurried down the rest of the hallway and pulled out a security card, running it through the elevator card slot, activating the device and waited impatiently for it to arrive.

"Come on you stupid elevator" the figure spoke aloud, a soft feminine voice ringing through the hallway. She looked around the hall to make sure no more guards were coming as she waited impatiently for the elevator to show. When the elevator arrived on the floor, she quickly stepped in a pushed the button to the executive level.

* * *

Mal Steffens sat staring blankly at the security monitors praying that something interesting would happen to take away his boredom. He didn't care if one of the coffee machines tipped over, anything to make the night more entertaining. The security alarm went off to his right, the light to the elevator lighting up on the screen board and he immediately switched to the elevator came which revealed a lithe black clad figure standing in the elevator, watching the numbers light up on the floor board.

"Nate, there is an intruder in the building heading up to the executive floors, activate immediate shut down of elevator on all floors." Mal said pressing the talk button on his headset.

"For real Mal? You're not just joking around are you?" Nate's rich voice flooded through the headset along with his uncertainty.

"Positive, now just do it." Mal barked irritably. A few minutes later he watched in the camera as the elevator stopped causing the figure to look up in annoyance as if trying to see what had happened. Apparently it spotted the camera and quickly punched it, shattering the glass and cutting off the transmission. Cursing under his breath, Mal quickly got out of his chair.

"Elevator halt done." Nate reported.

"Yeah I saw, the intruder killed the camera, I'm going to investigate the elevator, what floor did you stop it on?" Mal asked.

"One floor below the executive level." Nate replied.

"Great, thanks." Mal replied before taking off into a run towards the stairs, determined to catch the intruder.

* * *

"What the?" the woman said as the elevator abruptly halted mid ascent. "Great, this is just great." She said irritated and kicked the elevator walls before looking up towards the control panel. Noticing a hidden camera, she swiftly punched it, breaking it and looked around for options.

Looking back at the ceiling she noticed that the top of the elevator had a locked hatch. Pulling out a knife, she expertly wedged it between the door and proceeded to pry open the hatch despite the lock. Grasping the top, she pulled herself up onto the top of the elevator. Peering up the shaft she noticed that she was one floor below the last level, the executive level. Grabbing onto the elevator's thick cables, she carefully climbed up the thick rubber cable until she reached the doorway of the executive floor. Swinging her body, she jumped to the doorway and grabbed the sides to keep from falling back down the shaft. Using her knife, she once again pried open a door and stepped carefully through, the metal doors sliding shut once her force was gone.

Grinning, she walked down the corridor towards the conference room, her feet noiseless against the marble floor. The sound of running below her alerted her attention to the fact that she had been discovered and was being pursued. Shrugging, she grasped the handle of the conference room and walked in, the guards couldn't get to the executive level anyways, the elevator was the only thing that accessed the level and they had shut it down.

* * *

Mal reached the doors at which the elevator stopped, resting his hands against the wall panting slightly as he tried to catch his breath. Using his key, he opened the door to the elevator and walked inside. When he discovered the intruder was gone he cursed and slammed his fist into the elevator wall causing the hatch to fall open again, hitting Mal roughly on the head. Wincing, Mal brought a hand to the back of his head and massaged it as he stared at the open hatch. Pulling himself through, one of the tightest squeezes ever, Mal proceeded to climb the cables and using his key, unlocked the executive floor and walked into the corridor.

Walking silently towards the open conference room, Mal drew his gun out of the halter and unlocked the safety. With a burst of speed, Mal ran into the room, gun raised and searching for the intruder. He found the person beside the desk and watched as it picked up the box that was resting on top.

"Hold it right there." Mal ordered training his gun on the figure. The intruder looked up and tilted its head to the side as if sizing him up before walking out from behind the desk, hands raised.

Mal blinked when the intruder moved away from the desk revealing large breasts and a curvaceous body outlined in sleek black leather. Swallowing, Mal motioned for the figure to move forward. The woman strolled towards him with a confident air holding the package mockingly. When she reached him, Mal reached one hand behind him to pull out a pair of handcuffs when the woman's foot lifted off the ground and kicked the gun expertly out of Mal's hands. Stunned for a moment, Mal regain his composure as the figure took off running towards the window on the left side of the room. Mal ran after her, watching from behind as she dove through the window, shattering the glass and rolling smoothing into a kneeling position on the roof of the floor below. Mal jumped through the window directly behind her, protecting his face with his hands to prevent cuts from the sharp glass edges.

Racing after her along the roof, Mal quickly closed the distance between them and tackled her as she ran. Growling, she fell to the ground, Mal landing on top of her back, feeling her firm backside rubbing into his groin. Ignoring his male tendencies, Mal rolled off the woman and pulled her up with him as he stood. She complied and turned to face him. Mal reached out and grasped the black mask covering her head and pulled it off quickly. Golden blond hair tumbled down from her head reaching the middle of her back, a few strands clinging to her lips and eye lashes. Her eyes stared back at him expectantly, bright blue orbs framed with long black lashes. Mal was stunned at her beauty causing her pink lips to curl into a smirk as she watched his reaction. Before he could protest, she shoved the package into his arms and sprinted the rest of the way to the edge of the roof. Pausing slightly at the top of the edge, she blew him a quick kiss and dove off.

Mal ran swiftly towards the edge and watched as she free fell down the side of the building, her body straight and her hands in a diving formation. A black parachute soon exploded out into the air and she glided smoothly to the ground. Mal stared blankly after her then looked down at the package she had placed in his hands. Opening the box, he reached in and felt a silky piece of clothe. Curious and puzzled as to what was so important in the box, he pulled in out and his face grew beet red when he looked at the object in his hands. His light blue eyes, almost the color of ice, darted over the edge of the roof again, as a soft night breeze ruffled his silvery hair. The item the intruder had gone through so much trouble to steal was held limply in his hand and Mal was puzzled as to the reason for the break in. Shaking his head, Mal looked back down at his hand cringing when his gaze fell on the black lace thong was that was dangling there as he wondered who exactly the beautiful woman was who got away.

* * *

The figure walked out of the parking lot of Crystal Empires as she pulled out a small silver device. Holding it up to her ear, she waited patiently as the number dialed.

"Hello?" a musical voice filtered into the cell phone.

"Security test completed Viper, results passing." The woman spoke in soft tones.

"Good. Excellent job, come home now Copperhead, we have lots to discuss."

* * *

**There it is, the arrival of the first chapter to the sequel of A Viper's Poison. It's not much, but the action and delicious plot twists will be back as time progresses! As you read above this is the sequel to A Viper's Poison and is the second installment in the now Silver Snakes Trilogy. As I was developing this story so many ideas just filled my head, so many great plot twists and so forth that I needed to add another book so hence forth, there will be three books. I hope you enjoyed it, please review!  
**

**.:Angelgrl185:.**


	2. No Where You Can Hide

The Snake Charmer

**.:Angelgrl185:.**

The Second Installment

Of

The Silver Snakes Trilogy

_((I don't own Sailor Moon or any of its components))_

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Chapter Two: No Where You Can Hide

* * *

Sweat glistened on his brow and his dark locks were moist and matted against his head. Breathing heavily, he dived out of the way of a bullet as a loud shot rang out. Hitting the hard dirt, he grimaced in pain but continued to roll under the cover of a shrub. Gunfire echoed in the air as bullets pelted into the trunk of the tree next to him raining bark. Little bits of brown splinters attacked his face. Whipping out from under his cover, he narrowed his cobalt blue eyes and fired two shots hitting his opposing enemy. He smirked rather arrogantly feeling rather proud of himself and stood up. More fire rang out causing his eyes to widen considerably and his body to dive back under his shrub.

Pulling out two new clips, he inserted them quickly into his twin silver magnums. Aiming with newly trained eyes, he fired off a few shots — which missed. His enemy had dodged away from the fire and was almost completely hidden from his sight in the woods. A smile tugged at his lips when he reached to his back and slipped the sleek black sniper rifle off of his shoulders.

Setting the gun firmly in his hands and on his shoulder, he peered out of the neon scope looking for his prey. A slight movement in the brush caught his attention. The figure was illuminated by green light in his night vision. Targeting his opponent, he aimed the red beam in the gap between his prey's cold black eyes. Tightening his grip on the trigger, he waited for the perfect moment before squeezing it fully. A silent bullet torpedoed towards his target, drilling itself in the flesh between the eyes. With a satisfied grin he lowered the sniper rifle and hoisted it back onto his back. A crackling of branches behind him alerted his attention to the presence of another.

He whirled around; pistols ready in his hands and found himself face to face with the barrel of a gun. A set of cool eyes and a sneer peered into his face. Closing his eyes he waited for the bullet that would end it all, but it never came. Cracking open an eye, he noticed his enemy had completely disappeared. Standing in his place was his sister with her hands on her hips.

"Raye!" he groaned, sitting back on his heels. "I was just about to beat the level." Raye raised a perfectly tweezed eyebrow.

"What you were about to do was get your head blown off," she observed.

"You're no fun," he muttered.

"Darien, grow up," she said, rolling her violet eyes. "Let's go. Serena has called an urgent meeting. You don't want to keep your wife waiting now do you?"

Darien immediately perked up at the thought of his wife. It still seemed like a strange dream, him being married and all. Never in a million years did he think that would happen and especially not to a hauntingly beautiful assassin.

It had been two months since they were married, three since he proposed. They couldn't wait that long to do a normal engagement. Darien and Serena knew they were in love, loved each other more than life, so what was the point of keeping them apart for an extended amount of time? Darien had proposed at the Crown Arcade. Sure it wasn't the most romantic place, but the look on Serena's face when she went to get a gumball and received an engagement ring from the machine instead was priceless. She never failed to get a gumball from that machine every time they visited. Afterwards, however, he had bent down on one knee and asked her to marry him amid cheers and whistles. Then he had taken her to Chez Antoine where they had first eaten together.

Being a girl meant Serena cried a lot, but through her tears her aqua eyes had been shining with love and she had never looked more beautiful. Darien smiled happily, but tumbled out of his memories when Raye clamped on his arm and began dragging him out of the Gauntlet.

* * *

Darien and Raye were the last ones to walk into the conference room. It was slightly chilly; the air conditioning must've been on full blast or something because Darien found himself wishing he had warmer clothes. Serena greeted them as they came in giving Darien a special smile. She waited patiently until they had all settled down and spoke when she had their full attention.

"I'm glad you all could make it," Serena began, shuffling around some papers. "We have a lot of information to go over."

"Where's Seiya?" Raye cut in, looking around the room.

"He's still in London settling some last minute affairs with Lord Thriarfield," Serena answered. "Now, since we blew open Crystal Empires operation last year, the United States Government has been very eager to work with us. Seiya and I have decided that the Silver Snakes and Crystal Empires will now work hand in hand with the Government." Serena held up a hand as whispers broke out in the room.

"You mean our entire purpose is changing?" Lita asked. "Serena, you guys can't do this! The Silver Snakes is all most of us have ever known. The only thing we know is how to be assassins, is how to kill. You can't go all legal on us now."

"We're not going all 'legal' as you so delicately put it, Lita," Serena replied. "The Government has decided to turn a blind eye to our operations in exchange for our help on a certain case."

"Why do they need our help?" Mina inquired. "That's what they have the CIA and FBI for. We're just killers."

"Yes, well they seem to think differently," Serena said. "So there are going to be some changes around here, but I'll get to that later. First, I want to talk about the Rodriguez brothers."

Serena opened a folder sitting in front of her and took out a handful of papers. She passed them around the room and waited until everyone had a copy before continuing.

"When Seiya and I were going through the books and trying to get Crystal Empires finances in order, we stumbled across something pretty interesting," Serena said, as she turned her packet to the third page. "If you look on page three you will see a detail account of our banking records. There have been significant amounts of money given to a club in Mexico. Since we thought it was rather strange that Crystal Empires would be sending hundreds of thousands of dollars to a meager club, Seiya and I looked into it. Next page please."

The sound of paper scraping against itself filled the air as pages were turned. A photo was revealed of a building with the words 'Tequila Rose' in bright neon lights. Darien flipped through the next couple of pages that had images of the insides of the club. He let out a low whistle. It was a pretty fancy establishment.

"Club Tequila Rose, we discovered, it owned by two brothers," Serena said. "Their names are Miguel and Ennardo Rodriguez. Now the interesting this is that these men are rumored to have a heavy illegal arms operation that the Mexican Government has been trying to crack for years now. What it boils down too is the fact that Alexander Gracin has been funding the Rodriguez brothers' operations for sometime now."

Darien turned to the pages past the club pictures and found the faces of two men staring up at him. Miguel Rodriguez had the look of an ox. His body was large and muscular. His neck seemed to be thicker than a tree trunk and black hair curled around his head. Dark brown eyes glared out of the page and a small black mustache was nestled above his lips. Ennardo was the complete opposite. He was as skinny as a stick with dark brown hair that flowed past his neck and honey brown eyes that held a glint of anger.

"What does this have to do with the Government and us?" Mina asked skeptically.

"Our working together with the Government is a symbolic relationship," Serena answered. "We both benefit from it. The Government benefits by stopping two powerful arms dealers and we benefic by getting Alexander Gracin."

"So the U.S wants us to bring down these Rodriguez brothers?" Andrew asked.

Serena nodded. "Yes. That's where the changes come in to play. I will be going down to Mexico tonight with Raye and Lita to check out Club Tequila Rose and get information about Gracin. We're not going to do any hardcore digging, just make some friends and see if we can get an address of Gracin. My thinking is that he fled to Mexico and the Rodriguez brothers when his operation was taken down."

"Wait, how come I don't get any action?" Mina protested.

"Because, Mina, I placed you in charge of Crystal Empires security, _for now_," Serena emphasized when Mina looked like she was about to object. "I really need someone to keep a firm grip."

Serena turned to face Andrew. "Drew, thanks for the offer to help. You were a huge asset to us last year. I'm placing you in Security for now. Unfortunately you need more training before we can place you as a field agent." Andrew nodded in acceptance.

"Darien," she said, turning towards her husband. "You still have your training to complete as well and since I'm going to be giving Amy complete control over all technical aspects of Crystal Empires as well as Silver Snakes, I need you to take charge. I don't want to have to deal with running a big energy corporation, that isn't what I'm cut out to do. You on the other hand are quite capable to run things on your own so good luck."

"Amy, as I just told Darien, you will be working as the head of all technical projects here and at Crystal Empires," Serena said, turning towards the blue haired girl. "Lita, when you are finished on assignment you will be in charge of all combat training since Diamond is no longer with us."

"That should be all for now, but if you have any questions do not hesitate to contact me or Seiya when he returns. Dismissed."

Serena gathered up her papers as the rest of the team filtered out of the conference room. Darien hung back waiting to approach Serena. When everyone was gone he came up behind her and pulled her against his broad chest. She smiled and turned to bury her head in the crook of his arm.

"You smell like sweat," she said after a moment, wrinkling her nose.

"That's because I was training," Darien answered with a laugh.

"Well if I didn't think it was so many you wouldn't be within ten feet of me right now because you kind of smell," Serena added. Darien smiled and tousled her hair.

"Serena?"

"Hm?"

"Why are you leaving me here?" he asked.

"What are you talking about, Darien?" Serena questioned, pulling away from him.

"I want to come to Mexico with you," Darien explained.

"No," Serena answered firmly, shaking her head.

"What if something happens to you?" he pressed.

"Darien, I have been doing this kind of stuff all my life and you know I can take care of myself," Serena replied. "You need to finish your training. Once it is complete than you can come on assignments with me. This stuff is dangerous, Darien, and I'm sorry, but you're not ready."

"Serena, I'm your husband," Darien argued. "I should be allowed to protect you."

"You can't even protect yourself right now, Darien," Serena replied softly. "How can you expect to protect me?"

Darien didn't answer, but let go of her. His eyes narrowed and he looked away as if hurt. Serena let out a sigh and reached out a hand. He moved away from her and without a glance left the room. Serena sighed again before exiting herself. She had too much work to do right now to worry about Darien's wounded pride.

* * *

"This place is a total dump," Raye commented dryly as she looked around their new hotel room in Las Nieves. Once white walls were now stained yellow and the wooden floor cracked and rotting. Plumbing pipes hung across the ceiling dripping sewage water.

"Lovely," Lita remarked, placing her bags on one of the beds. The bags sank immediately into the bed as a cloud of dust kicked up. Lita poked it with her finger and grimaced. "Do they even clean these rooms?"

"Get over it," Serena ordered. "We have things to do. Get dressed, we're going to the club now."

Raye grumbled about Serena's attitude, but followed her orders. Lita looked despairingly at the bathroom and shook her head in disbelief at the state of it. An few hours later they were showered and dressed.

It was a couple hours flight from Washington DC to Las Nieves in one of the Government's Concord jets. Night had fallen upon them as they flew and few stars now twinkled in the gossamer sky as the threesome left the rundown hotel. Using the holographic bracelets, they had each changed their appearance.

Raye was no longer the dark temptress she was before having opted for dirty blond hair that cascaded down her back. Bright blue eyes and heavy eye make up enhanced her new features. A tight hot pink leather dress clung restrictively to every curve of her body. One could say she looked like a Barbie doll.

Lita on the other hand was more subdued. Soft auburn hair crowned her head in shiny waves that reached just below her shoulders. Her eyes were still a vibrant green, but now contained small flecks of gold. An emerald green silk halter-top enhanced her breasts while a short black mini skirt showed of her long legs.

Serena opted to keep her silvery blond locks, but they were much shorter and flared out around her chin. Bright aqua eyes still shone, but her cheekbones were no longer high nor her lips as full. A silver sequined dress hugged her body, tapering off near her thighs. They were a dangerous trio in more ways than one.

Serena parked their rented silver sedan in the parking lot of Club Tequila Rose. Tossing their hair over their shoulders, the three women walked confidently into the club. The sound of music was dull in the lobby of the club where they waited patiently for the large bouncers to clear them. Raye winked at the bouncers as they walked past through the double doors. Loud music immediately flooded their ears as they moved through the sea of grinding bodies. Their eyes were alert on the look out for any men they recognized from the files they went over earlier. The Rodriguez brothers had a very large circle.

"Dance with me," a deep voice whispered in Serena's ear as she felt a body press up behind her. She looked to Raye who was studying the man. Raye gave a slight nod before moving away from them, Lita following. Serena complied with the man's wishes and began methodically moving her body. Hands scaled her body, settling on the curves of her waist as they urged her to move faster. Serena circled her hips slowly at first before grinding harder into him. She slid her hands up along his arms and locked them in the back of his head and pulling him harder against her. The music pounded around them as bodies twisted and crashed to the hypnotic beats of the club. As the current song died down Serena slowed the rocking of her body.

Twisting in the man's grasp, Serena leaned back to get a good look into his face. He was young, in his early twenties with light brown hair and hazel eyes. A thin scar ran across his right cheek. Serena gently raised a hand and caressed the scarred tissue. It was Ramón Chasez. He was one of Miguel's flunkies. Worked on the shipments.

"Come with me," he said, in such a way that Serena knew he was demanding more so than asking. She nodded shyly and let him lead her through the mass of young people dancing. Serena noticed Lita shadowing her from a far and quickly caught her eye.

She nodded towards the back hallway of the club. Lita nodded in return and disappeared.

Ramón was leading her to a booth in the back corner where some of his companions were sitting. Serena stopped walking, forcing him to jerk back. She shyly raised her head and beckoned him closer. Ramón obliged and took a step closer. Serena snaked an arm around his neck and pulled his head to hers, capturing his lips in a kiss. Breaking it immediately, she winked at him before heading towards the back hall. Ramón watched her amused before following her into the back. Serena led him to the back door of the club and opened it. Once they were outside, the cool night air swirled around them. Ramón shoved Serena up against the wall of the club and went in for a rough kiss.

A hand grabbed the collar of his shirt and dragged him off of Serena. Lita raised her fist and planted it straight into his face. Ramón's head jerked back with the force of her punch as a surprised look crossed his face. Lita grabbed a handful of his thick hair and held his head up. Raye appeared out of the shadows and delivered a quick kick to his stomach. Ramón grunted and dropped to his knees. Lita's yanked his scalp, holding his head back up. Serena walked closer to him and stared into his eyes.

"You have information that I want," she said coldly. "I'll make you a deal. You tell me what I want to know and I'll consider letting you live." Ramón watched her through narrowed eyes and let out a string of curses in Spanish.

"I'd watch your tongue if I were you," she threatened. "You wouldn't want to lose it now would you?" Ramón glared at her, but shook his head.

"Good, now tell me where Senor Gracin is," Serena demanded.

"I don't know who you are talking about," Ramón denied.

"Don't play games with me, Ramón," Serena spat. "Yes, I know who you are and I know what you do and who you work for. You're in a very dangerous business, Ramón."

"I told you I don't know who this Senor Gracin is," Ramón repeated.

"You know what else I know, Ramón?" Serena asked coyly. "I know that you have a wife and two little boys. I also know where they live."

She swooped down at his eye level and grabbed his head.

"If you don't tell me something that will lead me to Alexander Gracin, I'm afraid they won't live to see tomorrow."

Serena could see the war waging in his eyes. Loyalty, fear and duty to his friends and the love for his family. Even harden criminals knew how to love. Ramón hung his head in defeat.

"You promise you will not hurt my family?" he asked, a pleading note in his voice.

"I promise," Serena said, firmly.

Ramón nodded. "Senor Gracin has been helping us for a while now. We owe a lot to him so when he got in some trouble in America he came here to collect. Miguel has him stashed away somewhere."

"Where?" Serena demanded.

"He's in one of Miguel's houses — the one in Las Nieves. It's about forty minutes away from here."

"Thank you, Ramón," Serena said. "Unfortunately you are now a liability to us. We cannot risk you telling your friend Miguel that we've come calling."

"No, you promised!" Ramón pleaded.

Serena threw him a cold look. "I promised that I would not harm your family, which I won't. I'm sure your buddy Miguel will make sure they are cared for. I said I would think about not killing you. I thought about it and well, you are dispensable."

Serena nodded to Lita who wrapped her slender fingers around Ramón's neck. With a quick twist she snapped his bones and his body went limp in her hands.

"Throw him in the dumpster with the rest of the trash," Serena ordered. Lita nodded and with Raye's help, dumped the lifeless body in the Club's dumpster. Serena pulled out her satellite phone and dialed a number.

"Cobra," Amy's voice rang out.

"Cobra, it's me, Viper," Serena said, quickly. "I need you to get me an address of a house in Las Nieves that is owned by Miguel Rodriguez."

"Sure, Viper," Amy replied. "Let me hunt that down."

The sound of keys on the computer keyboard drifted through the phone. A few minutes later Amy gave a sound of triumph.

"Viper, I've got that address for you," Amy said.

"Great, Cobra, thanks," Serena said, after jotting down the address. She hung up the phone and looked to Raye and Lita. "Let's roll."

* * *

Thirty minutes later, after speeding recklessly along every highway, the silver sedan shut off its headlights and parked a block away from the house. The girls had switched their disguises back to their normal appearances and had changed into black leather body suits. They climbed out of the car and walked silently down the block toward the house. No lights were on in the house as they approached. Either they were asleep or they were not home. Serena hoped they were just asleep. Raye dropped her black backpack to the ground when they reached the house and pulled out a pair of tweezers and some pliers. Going over to the security box she deftly unhooked the silent alarm. Next she dusted the security keypad with a thin, white powder before shining a black light over it to reveal the fingerprints. She punched in a series of numbers until a small beep sounded and the side door to the house unlocked.

The three women pulled out pistols from various holsters and covered all corners as they slowly entered the house. Night vision goggles were pulled over their eyes so they could see in the dark and not have to shine flashlights for the risk of getting caught was greater with them. Raye crept silently toward the first room, her gun raised. She peered through the doorway than signaled to Lita and Serena. They continued in this way, checking every room in the house. No one was home.

"Someone definitely lives here," Raye observed, as she took in the amount of clothes strewn across the Master Bedroom.

"Coral, you search this room for anything that might help us," Serena said. "Python, come with me. We'll hit the office on the first floor."

Raye nodded and began searching through nightstands. Lita followed Serena out of the room and down the stairs. Taking out a lock pick when they reached the office door, Lita efficiently jimmied the lock and it sprung open. Serena walked in first.

A bookcase lined the entire left wall. Lita made a beeline for it and began searching through the titles for any book that seemed suspicious or any papers hidden in the pages. A desk sat in the middle of the room drawing Serena's attention. She walked over to it and ran her fingers lightly along the smooth cherry wood. A picture frame sat in the right corner. She delicately picked up the silver frame and studied its occupants.

Her father stood proudly in the back, his aqua eyes glinting and his arm draped possessively around the waist of a woman. She had flaming red hair that curled in soft tendrils down to her waist and cool emerald eyes. Her full blood red lips were curved in a haughty smile. This woman was beautiful and judging from the expression on her face — she knew it. Serena's eyes drifted down to the third figure. A young man glared up at her. He was maybe in his late teens with a shock of thick dusty brown hair crowning his head, the light from the camera highlighting the red tints. His eyes were sharp and alert. Their aqua tint is what really captured her attention. She studied the picture a little while longer before placing it back and leafing through some files.

"There's nothing here!" Lita exclaimed angrily, after an hour of searching through the entire office. Nothing seemed suspicious or hinted of illegal activity. Raye had come down a while ago with the same report. Nothing.

Serena sighed and threw a folder back down on the desk. "I didn't really expect Miguel or Gracin to leave evidence of their dealings lying around in such an insecure area anyways, but it never hurts to look."

The sound of a door unlocking alerted their attention. All three women froze in their positions. Serena pulled out her pistol first and silently crept out of the room, Lita and Raye on her heels. She peered around the corner into the living room and watched a tall figure dump a bag on the coffee table, collapse on the couch and flick on the TV. Serena waved two fingers at Lita and pointed to the man. Lita nodded her head and snuck around behind the couch and on Serena's signal, placed her gun to his head.

"Don't move," she warned harshly. His body tensed when he felt the cool metal barrel touching his temple.

"Get up," she ordered. The man complied and got off the couch slowly. Raye walked over to them and stood in front of the man, her hands on her hips.

"Where is Dr. Gracin?" she asked.

"He's not here," the man answered.

"Obviously," Raye replied dryly. "Now answer my question."

"He's on vacation," he answered.

"Where?" Raye asked impatiently.

"Barbados."

"Why are you telling us this?" Raye asked her eyes narrowed.

"Um, because you asked me?" he replied. "Look, I'm just not happy with the old man right now so whatever vendetta you have against him will serve him right for being an old ass. Go to Barbados, get your money and then leave us the hell alone."

Raye chuckled at his naivety. "We're not here for a payment with money, kid, we're here for a payment in blood."

He jerked his head up. "You're going to kill him? What for?"

At this it was Serena who answered with a cold smile. "He murdered my family. Destroyed my life. Tried to blow up the world and take away the only people left that I have. You're father is a bad man. He deserves to die."

"You'll never find him," he spat. "I may think he's an ass, but he's still my father and I won't let you kill him. I'll tell him your coming and he'll leave."

Serena leaned back her head and laughed, a cold, emotionless sound. Her cool aqua eyes stared hard at the young man. His own eyes were steeled in defiance, his head held proud. Serena moved quickly to stand in front of him. Grabbing the hair at the back of his head she pulled him roughly toward her.

"Give your father a message for me," she whispered, chillingly in his ear. The man tensed at their close contact and tightened his jaw, fixing his hard gaze straight ahead.

"Tell Alexander Gracin that his time has come," Serena hissed. "Tell him that there is no place he can hide from me. Tell him that the Viper is looking for him and when she finds him — he better be prepared to die."

Serena shoved him roughly back against Lita's firm hold. The kid was now glaring at her in hatred. She could feel the heat of it burning out of his aqua eyes so hauntingly familiar to her own. Lita inclined her head toward Serena asking permission to end her prisoner's life. After a moment she shook her head to both of her companions' surprise.

"Tie him up," she ordered Lita. "Someone will find him eventually."

Lita dragged him over to a chair and pushed him into sitting position on it. Raye took out a long piece of rope from her bag and proceeded to tie him tightly. Serena though for a moment before unsheathing one of her many knives and placing it on the coffee table a few feet away. Raye looked at her questioningly. Serena shook her head slightly to signal that now wasn't the time. Lita gave the young man one last shove before the three of them deftly exited the building. Once outside Raye began to question her.

"What gives, Viper?" she asked. "First you let him live and then provide him with a knife so he can cut out of his bonds?"

"It could have been days before someone found him," Serena defended herself.

"Who cares!" Raye said, throwing up her hands. "He should have been dead already! He's a liability because now he knows what we looks like and now he's going to tell his father that we are coming. Don't tell me you're getting soft."

Serena's eyes narrowed. "Don't question me, Coral. I have reasons for everything I do. You're just going to have to trust me. We've wasted enough time here. Let's go."

She stormed past the two, leaving them to follow confused in her wake. Serena looked over her shoulder one last time at the young man tied to the chair. The young man who was in the picture on the desk. The young man who was her half brother.

* * *

**What is this? Chapter Two? Hmm…yeah…about that…it's been a while. But here it is! I've been working on two other stories right now and since this one is a sequel, it took the backseat. Hopefully I will be updating more frequently now. I hope you enjoyed it though! Please, please review and tell me what you think!**

**.:Angelgrl185:.**


	3. Tempers Teem Temptations

The Snake Charmer

**.:Angelgrl185:.**

The Second Installment

Of

The Silver Snakes Trilogy

_((I don't own Sailor Moon or any of its components))_

_

* * *

_

Chapter Three: Tempers Teem Temptations

* * *

Mal Steffens was about to shoot himself. Seriously. He was _this close_ to pulling his Browning 9 millimeter out of his gun holster, placing it against his temple and blowing his brains out. Hey, if he were dead than he wouldn't have to deal with all the stress threatening to kill him anyways. It felt as if a huge weight was on his shoulders and was cutting off his air supply. At least he'd be able to say he was responsible for his own death instead of stress. That would be just pathetic. He groaned and shifted uncomfortably in his chair. It was made of scratchy material and currently one of the bars from the frame was poking up his butt. Very uncomfortable. With a sigh he brought up two fingers and gently massaged his right temple while leaning his head against the palm. Today had not been a good day.

First of all, he was sent a memo telling him that Crystal Empires was now under new management. They didn't even have the decency to explain to him what happened or who the new management was. Then he gets _another_ memo detailing that he's will no longer be head of security and that it has been given to some jerk off whose never stepped into the building in his life. If that wasn't bad enough, this jerk off was coming to inspect the facilities and the guards sometime today in the very near future. Just to add a little cherry to this pile of sweet goodness, the alarm system that they had installed after the weird break in last week isn't finished and won't work right plus a couple of the men quit because they felt they weren't being paid enough. Now he had to get a new, working security alarm and train new guards. Life is _not _beautiful.

"Hey, Mal," Nate's voice flooded into his intercom.

"Yes, Nate?" he asked irritably through clenched teeth.

"Uh, the new head of security is, um, here," Nate, replied hesitantly.

"What?" Mal yelled, his slate eyes growing wide and sitting up straight into his chair.

"Yeah, and kinda already went up too so — "

Mal didn't hear the rest of Nate's sentence because the door to his office burst open drowning out the words. Mal pivoted around in his office chair with a concealed look of horror. A tall, sandy blond haired man walked cheerfully into his office and waved hello. His blue eyes were bright and seemed to be taking in the runt of space that Mal referred to as his dun – office. With hands shoved in the front pockets of his blue jeans, the man leaned back against the doorframe and stared expectantly at Mal.

'So this is the guy who's taking my job,' Mal thought, bitterly. 'He doesn't look like anything special. Must be sleeping with the head honcho.'

Mal stood up from his chair and crossed the room sticking out a hand for the man to shake.

"My name's Mal," he said, formally. "I am – was, the head of security here."

"Andrew," the man replied with a smile, pumping his hand enthusiastically.

"Well, now that you're here I guess I could show you how things run," Mal decided. Before he could begin explaining a light feminine voice interrupted him.

"Sorry I'm late. My heel snapped in the hallway so I had to fix it and then I was running to catch up with Andrew so I'm a little out of breath."

Mal just stared blankly at her. Her cornflower blue eyes were crinkled in the corners and her full lips were curved in a frown. She currently glowering at a black heel she was holding in her hand. Disgusted, she threw the shoe with impeccable aim into the trashcan by his desk with a resounding ring of clanking metal.

"Right, so I see you've already met, Andrew. He's going to replace one of the positions you have open for guards." She was slipping the other heel off now and tossed that one in the trash as well. With a satisfied smirk, she turned her attention to Mal.

"You!" she said in shock, her eyelids fluttering wide open. Her mouth gaped slightly as she stared at him. Then her lips curved into a smile that he wasn't quite sure he liked.

"How interesting," she purred.

"_Mina_," Andrew groaned, exasperated. "Stop staring at the security man like he's a plump piece of steak."

"What?" Mina balked, snapping her head to her right. "I was not!"

"You were too. Is that a little bit of drool I see?"

"Shut-up, Drew," she growled. "Or you're fired."

Andrew rolled his eyes and did nothing to hide the grin that appeared on his face. "You can't fire me. I was assigned to this job specifically by Serena."

"You're so annoying."

"Ah, but you love me," he smirked. Mina's glared simmered and her eyes softened.

"Maybe," she replied, with a wink.

Mal shifted his shoes uncomfortably on the marbled floor. His movements caught Mina's attention.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" she gasped. "I forgot you were there."

"No problem," he answered.

"She does that a lot," Andrew said in a loud whisper. "It goes with the whole blond hair thing."

"Andrew!" Mina smacked him playfully on the shoulder. "Go outside while I talk to him. You're distracting me."

"That's because you find me irresistibly hot and you can't keep your eyes off," Andrew teased.

Mina stuck her hands on her hip and glared evilly. "Don't make me call Serena and tell her what _really_ happened to her Viper while she was on her honeymoon."

"Okay, okay, I'm gone," Andrew said, putting his hands up in surrender and walked out the door. His head popped back in. "Really, Mina, denial doesn't solve the problem."

"Andrew!"

Mal could hear his booming laughter echoing down the hallway as he avoided Mina's swat and ran away. Her eyes were sparkling with amusement when she turned her attention back to him.

"He's an idiot," she said simply. Mina moved a few steps and settled herself in his chair. She leaned back and stretched her feet out onto his desk. "Well isn't this a nice little surprise."

Mal leaned back against the wall. "Who are you?"

"I'm Mina," she answered breezily. "I'm you're new commanding officer."

He balked. "You're the new head of security? I got demoted for a woman?"

"Hey," she said sharply, pulling her feet off the desk, her blue eyes beginning to blaze. "If I remember correctly it was you who let an unidentified stranger roam about the building, steal something and get away scotch free."

"But that was you!" he protested. Mina shook her honey blond locks.

"Doesn't matter who it was. The point is an intruder was able to get in and out of Crystal Empires. That isn't efficient security."

"Look, I don't know who you think you are that you can just waltz in here and start mocking me, lady," Mal replied angrily, "but I suggest that you give me a little more credit and respect."

She threw him a cold look. "I only give respect only when it is deserved. The only thing you deserve is a good spanking for _your_ complete lack of respect for _my_ authority."

"Would you like to do the honors?" he asked coolly. "Except I'm not too keen on the idea of getting drool on me."

Mina's mouth dropped open and her eyes bugged. "I cannot believe you just said that to me!"

"You were asking for it," Mal sneered.

"Look, I didn't want this job," she growled, standing up and shoving a finger into his chest. "The only reason I'm doing this is because Serena asked me too so when I'm done here you can have your stupid job back and I'll no longer have to deal with you. But, until then, you will do exactly as I say, is that clear?"

"Crystal," he muttered.

"Good, I want a full debriefing report on my desk by the end of the day," she ordered.

"What! That'll take me hours to do!"

"Then I suggest you start working on it." With that she flipped back her hair and stormed out of his office.

"Having a little trouble with your new employees?" Andrew asked when she stomped past him. He was outside in the hallway leaning against a wall with a grin on his face.

Mina sniffed and turned up her nose. "He's completely deplorable.

"I didn't think he was so bad," Andrew disagreed.

"You weren't talking to him by yourself," Mina countered. "He wanted me to spank him!"

Andrew chuckled. "Now why on earth would he want that?"

Mina glowered at him. "For your information any man would kill to have me spank them."

"Yeah, while I get it for free," he grinned.

"You're impossible," she groaned.

"I've gotten worse."

Mina rolled her eyes.

"Seriously though," Andrew said. "Make sure he keeps his hands off. I don't want my goods spoiled."

"Your goods?" she repeated, raising an eyebrow.

"My ridiculously good looking and completely sexy goods," he added.

"I like the sound of that," Mina purred, curling her fingers around his collar and pulling him closer.

"Does this mean I get a spanking now?" Andrew asked, innocently.

"Ugh, do you ever stop?" she frowned.

Andrew shook his head and beamed. "Nope."

"Well I think you should seriously consider it. You're gonna give me a migraine."

"Now, now, dear," he scolded her playfully. "Where would the fun be in that?"

Andrew pulled her in his arms and dropped a kiss to the top of her head. "Be a good little girl and play nicely with the big boys, okay?"

"Fine," she grumbled.

"I have to get back to the Den. I promised Darien I'd train with him today."

"Don't get to tired," Mina warned. "I have big plans for you."

"Yes, ma'am!" Andrew grinned.

"Now get out of here before I decided to make you help break in my new office," Mina ordered with a wink. Andrew swatted her playfully on the rear before taking his leave. Mina's lips quirked at the corners as she sashayed down the hallway and headed to her office.

* * *

The waves gently lapped against her foot as she squished her toes deeper into the wet sand. White foam clung to the grains as the water receded back to the ocean. Gulls squawked in the distance as they dove in and out of the surf grabbing bits of crab. Serena pushed her sunglasses back up the bridge of her nose before turning the next page in her book. Her brown eyes, however, were not directed at the words printed there, but were skimming over the top and watching a white beach house a couple hundred yards down. The cool ocean breeze gently kicked up the tangle of brown curls that were draped across her neck tickling her skin.

"Look how big my butt is now!" Lita's sultry voice broke into her concentration. Serena lowered her book a few inches and peered over at her friend. Lita's skin was light brown and her short black hair was pushed back behind her ears. Currently she was admiring her new features that she acquired when she put on her holographic disguise.

"I always wanted to have some junk in the trunk," she chuckled. Raye snorted next to her and lifted her head off of her orange and pink striped towel. Her red one piece was styled so that all her curves were revealed through creative cuts in the cloth and accentuated her raven black hair and hazel eyes. In one hand she grasped a binocular unit while the other was clinging to a Cosmo magazine.

"You getting anything, Viper?" she asked, rolling to her side to look at her leader.

"Not yet," Serena murmured, returning to her observation. Raye lifted the binoculars to her eyes and skimmed over the property.

"I counted earlier about six guards roaming the perimeter," she reported. "I'll bet my Diablo that it's at least doubled during the night watch."

"I got the same," Serena confirmed. "There are also two snipers, one on each house adjacent to the main one. I'm assuming Miguel bought out the neighboring ones to control security more efficiently."

"That's actually a pretty smart idea," Lita remarked. "Hell, if I had the kind of money he did, I'd buy out the whole block and host my own block parties."

"Viper, there's a jeep coming down the beach," Raye warned, and hid her binoculars in her beach bag. Serena nodded and laid down on her back, placing the open book over her face to block out the sun. Too any bystander, the three women would look like normal tourist vacationing on the beach and relaxing under the sun.

The droning noise of an engine running got louder as a forest green jeep neared their location. It sped along the white sand, kicking up waves of it in its wake. Shouts of anger could be heard as the jeep sprayed tanning vacationers and getting sand in unpleasant places. Raye watched out of the corner of her eye as the jeep neared. There were two men total in the jeep. The driver appeared to have brown and was fairly young while the other passenger hair a couple shades lighter. As they drove by the passenger caught a glimpse of the girls and leaned in to say something to the driver. A couple seconds later the jeep had made a u-turn and was now heading back in their direction.

"Heads up. I think the jeep is coming for a visit." Raye spoke out of the corner of her pursed lips.

"Hello, ladies," a masculine voice greeted them. Serena slipped the book off of her face and rolled over. Raye buried her face disinterestedly into her magazine while Lita propped her head on her hands and drew lazy circles in the sand.

"Hey, boys," Lita answered, her dark brown eyes sweeping over each man in turn. The driver was pretty cute with light brown hair that was gathered in a low ponytail and dangled a little past his shoulders.

"Basking in the sun I see," the man spoke again. Lita shifted her eyes to the speaker. He had iced blond hair with bright green eyes and a cute dimple that showed with the smirk he was wearing. "It's not everyday we come across such a fine display of beauty." His eyes roamed over the girls and stopped on Lita's voluptuous backside. She bit her lip in order to keep from grinning.

"Oh, please," Raye drawled, her face still buried in her magazine. "Spare me. You're on a beach for god's sakes. There are half naked whores prancing around everywhere. Go hit on someone else who might actually think your advances aren't pathetic."

The brunette raised his eyebrows and cracked a grin displaying a nice set of straight, white teeth. The speaker's eyes shot wide and his jaw dropped slightly.

"Now, now, Jasmine," Serena scolded her. "Play nice with the little boys."

"Yeah," the speaker chimed in. "I was just being friendly and paying some compliments where they're _definitely _deserved."

"Why should I?" Raye asked, setting down her magazine and glaring at the blond. "You roll up here disturbing my peace with your corny clichéd remarks while kicking sand all over my towel and getting it in my hair. What makes you think I even want to be hit on in the first place?"

"Oh, I don't know, let me think about that for a moment," he replied sarcastically while placing a finger on his chin and tapping it. "Maybe because your wearing a very revealing and sexy bathing suit that basically consists of a few strings tied together in certain places and possibly the fact that you are readily displaying it all for the entire male beach population to drool at."

"What! I happen to be the only one wearing a one piece!"

"Yeah, a one piece with many holes in it," he pointed out coolly. "Besides you have more assets to cover." He looked pointedly at the cleavage bursting out of the top of her suit.

"You pompous cad!" Raye growled, her eyes blazing. "You think you're so cute with your all American looks that you can just waltz up to any girl and have them groveling at your feet. Well I've got news for you buddy. I think maybe you should reassert your own assets, or should I say, lack there of, before you go parading yourself around."

He opened his mouth to reply when a voice stopped him.

"Uh, Jay, maybe you should stop before you get yourself hurt," the driver suggested.

"For real," Lita chimed in. "As much fun as it would be to see Jasmine rip the balls off your friend there, I think its time for some introductions. Maybe even a little civilized conversation?"

"I'm Zack," he said with a smile. "My forward friend here is Jay."

"Jess," she replied sticking out her hand. "Jasmine you should know by now and the dark haired girl is Sarah."

"Pleasure to meet you all," Zack said jovially. Jay scoffed at the "pleasure" part and shot Raye a dark look. She ignored him and favored Zack with a bright smile.

"I know Jay may have ruined my chances of you all agreeing to this," Zack began, darting an annoyed look at his blond friend, "but there's gonna be a huge party tonight at the beach house we're staying in if you all want to come."

"Party?" Serena perked up. "Where?"

"The white beach house over there," Zack replied, pointing to the very house that they'd been watching. Serena restrained herself from getting up and giving Zack a big fat kiss and opted to just smile excitedly instead.

"That would be awesome!" she replied enthusiastically. "You guys up for a party?"

"Definitely," Lita agreed.

"Not if Eminem jr. is gonna be there," Raye scorned.

"I promise he won't bother you," Zack pleaded.

Raye thought for a moment. "Fine, but only because I think you're cute."

Jay's green eyes were smoldering now as he alternated hateful glances between Raye and Zack.

"See, Jay. I've told you time and time again that you gotta be smooth and the ladies will melt like butter," Zack said to his friend cockily.

"Shut-up, Zack," Jay muttered.

"Party starts at ten, ladies," Zack informed them as he followed Jay back to the jeep.

"We'll be there!" Lita called after them with a wave. Once they were gone she collapsed down on her towel. "Well I'll be."

"Couldn't have asked for a better set up," Serena agreed.

"I hope Jay is an illegal immigrant that we can deport," Raye grumbled, putting her magazine in her beach bag.

"Come on, Coral," Lita groaned. "Jay was a total hottie! In fact, he reminded me of this guy I used to date named Ken. Hot. Hot. Hot."

"Shut-up, Python," Raye snarled.

"Touchy, touchy." Lita waved a finger at Raye. "Someone's got a stick shoved up their ass."

"Yeah and its name is Jay."

Lita laughed and clapped Raye on the back. The threesome packed up their beach stuff and called it a day.

* * *

"Hey, Darien," Andrew greeted his lifelong friend warmly. Darien nodded his hello. He was leaning back against the right wall of the training arena and was twirling a blade against the ground.

"You know you probably shouldn't be doing that," Andrew said, looking blatantly at Darien's hands. "You know how Cho gets when you misuse her creations."

"And you worry too much," Darien put in.

"That's strange," Andrew replied. "Usually that's you. Have you heard from Serena yet?"

Darien stopped his twirling. "Yeah, she called in last night. Gracin wasn't home. Apparently he's at some beach house in Barbados."

"Are they going down there?" Andrew asked.

"Yeah, they're already there actually," Darien replied. "Serena said something about staking out the place first before they move in."

Andrew nodded and walked over to the sword rack hanging on the wall. He reached up and pulled a long, thin sword with a triangular blade and bell shaped guard off the wall. He and Darien both favored the sabre style of fencing. Andrew lined up four meters away from Darien on a two meter wide piste. Darien lifted his weapon in an engarde position and tensed for the fight. The strip that they were going to fence on was fourteen meters in length.

"Engarde!" Andrew called out cheesily. He grinned sheepishly as Darien gave him an amused look. "What? It's fun to say."

Darien rolled his eyes and attacked swiftly, catching Andrew off guard. Andrew parried Darien's lunge, knocking his blade to the side and went for a low hit to Darien's knee. Darien skipped back to avoid the touch.

"How do you do it?" Darien asked as he thrust his blade toward Andrew's left shoulder.

"Do what?" Andrew questioned, blocking the shot.

"You know, not worry so much," Darien replied. "About Mina and all."

Andrew ducked down and swept his sword in a clean arc. It connected solidly with Darien's calf who grimaced and took a few steps back to rub his now aching muscle.

"Point for me!" Andrew said cheekily. "And to answer your question, I do worry about Mina. I worry about the fact that right now she is locked inside a stuffy building with a relatively handsome man."

"What?" Darien asked bewildered, ducking another swing of Andrew's sword.

"Mal, he's one of the head security guards," Andrew explained. "I think he has a thing for Mina although he hides it pretty well."

"Worried that he'll steal her away?" Darien wondered.

"Not particularly," Andrew admitted. "For one, I'm a sexy beast and Mina would need to be committed to an insane asylum if she broke up with me. Two, Mina and I aren't as serious as you and Serena. You guys are freakin' married. Mina and I are just having a good time right now."

"So there's nothing serious between you two?"

"I wouldn't say that I guess. I mean, you can't deny that she's completely gorgeous. Plus she's so freakin' cute when she's mad and her face scrunches up and her eyes get all bright and stuff. I really like her, Darien. We're just more casual about the whole thing I guess. I don't mind if she window shops just as long as she doesn't buy anything."

"I see," Darien answered, although it was plain to Andrew that he didn't.

"Never mind," Andrew said with a grin. He jumped in the air to avoid a low cut from Darien, but the tip of the blade scuff the tip of his shoes.

"Point," Darien said smugly. "What I was really asking about was worrying when Mina was on assignment."

"Oh."

"I should be in Barbados with her right now," Darien argued. "Protecting her."

"I don't know man, you've got one tough chick," Andrew replied. "Besides, you're still training. Serena can more than take care of herself."

"That's what she said," Darien moped. He viciously attacked Andrew's left flank and touch him on the hip and arm. "That makes it three to one."

"I can't believe I'm being beaten by a pansy like you," Andrew complained.

"Get used to it," Darien grinned. "I'm gonna beat you senseless."

"Bring it on, lover boy," Andrew mocked. The clashing of the swords echoed through the training arena as they parried and lunged. Often boisterous laughter and frustrated cursing broke through the concentrated silence. In the end, Andrew was on the flat of his back with Darien's sword at his throat.

"You cheated," he accused. "Tripping is not allowed in fencing, but that was one hell of a trick."

"Lita taught it to me," Darien explained, removing his sword and helping Andrew to his feet.

"Figures," he muttered. "That woman's a freakin' Amazon."

Darien grinned and clapped him on the back. "Come on. I'll buy you a drink and you can try and convince me that you're not jealous about this Mal guy."

"Hey, Darien?" Andrew said wrinkling his nose. "Can you take a shower first? You kinda of smell."

"Same to you."

"I don't smell I accentuate the atmosphere with natural scents."

"You're an idiot."

"Dutifully noted."

* * *

**Next chapter at you're service! Hope you all enjoyed it! Let me know how you think the character development is going for them all and if they seem relatively on base with their personalities in VP. Please leave lots and lots of reviews as I am a review slut and they give me much pleasure!**

**.:Angelgrl185:.**


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